Restored in Him

Jesus tenderly took her hand and spoke these words over her. Immediately, breath filled her lungs, and her dead body was raised back to life. There it is again - the theme of the ultimate love story. The power of Jesus, time and time again, allowing us to rise in His victory. Simply because He loves us so deeply. Sister, is there something in your life that holds you back from claiming that victory? Is the feeling of defeat a louder and more familiar guest in your heart?,…

“I will love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3 NKJV In this series we’re exploring the protective nature of God revealed in scripture, and specifically how he’s a refuge for his people. All throughout,…

The true story told in Director Ron Howard's 1995 film "Apollo 13" stirs my soul. As it heads toward the moon, the Apollo spacecraft is crippled by a meteor. Nobody knows how to get the crew back to earth alive. But Flight Director Gene Kranz played by Ed Harris concludes the first crisis meeting with the ringing declaration, "Failure is not an option!” Then he masterfully drives his ground support team until the three astronauts safely splash.…

Some people say the most difficult part of any job is not the task itself or the challenge involved but getting along with coworkers. Are you surprised? Getting along with other humans is where things likely fall apart. So, after Jesus drives home God’s intention that not even one of His little ones should perish, the immediate takeaway He gives the disciples is conflict management advice. Jesus says to point out transgressions privately to a brother or sister in sin.…

Jesus told His disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit” (John 15:5). As we live the Christian life in dependency on the Holy Spirit, two things will become evident in us. 1. We treasure God’s Word. When we value something, we think about it, study it, and learn all we can about it. By studying the Bible, we learn about God’s character, plans, and promises. Scripture meditation develops…

Doing hard things requires us to be lion-like – bold, steely and courageous. Doing things the right way means being like a lamb – gentle, meek and submissive. We are supposed to be a godly mixture of the qualities of both the lion and the lamb. But how can one person be both ‘the Lion’ and ‘the Lamb’? In C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, the lion, Aslan, represents Jesus. In the most famous of these books, The Lion, the Witch and the,…

Several of the gospels mention children coming to Jesus (Matthew 19:13-14; Luke 18:15-17; Mark 10:13-16). Some of them probably climbed onto His lap, while others perhaps sat at His feet. We might picture them asking Him lots of questions, begging to hear more parables, and whispering secrets in His ear. It isn’t surprising that they would gather around Jesus, who loves us perfectly. Contrast this snapshot of Jesus’ warm nature with the picture some Christians…

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a…

When we forget (and oh, how we forget), our senses can trigger an awakening of remembrance and place, and suddenly we are back as though it were yesterday. Sense-memory is such an exquisite gift from God, especially our sense of smell; the olfactory system is the one most laden with memory. You’ve experienced this I’m sure — one whiff of cut grass, canned peaches, salt air or pine bark, and you are back in your dearest places and memories. For me, the,…